“Dealing with Dymans” Chapter 5, Part 1

It wasn’t until the day after the day after performing his clever surgery on the neon sign that Jack would discover what he had done wasn’t all that clever and certainly wasn’t little. Some people tend to overreact.

In the interval, Jack basked in the self-appointed glory, the shining light – neither neon nor argon- of a job well done. And with that task ticked off his To Do list, he turned his attention to another – the reason for wanting a Cleopatra’s bracelet. Clearly, he would not be purchasing it from Shady Jewellery, but Jennifer had mentioned it and “mentioned” was all Jack needed.

Ah, Jennifer. They had been seeing one another for only the past two months – sometimes it seemed like two years, sometimes two weeks. Some days dragged by, an eternity on slow wheels. When she was out of town on a buying trip or tied up with her partner, Patrice, and Jack was out of the loop, he felt like a small cog on the outer radius of a giant gear – out of transmission, no torque. But time was a racehorse when he and Jennifer were together, a Kentucky Derby winner who didn’t understand the significance of a finish line, a breathless breakaway.

Jennifer could be described in one word: gorgeous, breath-taking, stunning, beautiful, dazzling, foxy, ravishing, pulchritudinous. Pick any one word and it would be saying “Jennifer.” Jack could also be described in one word: smitten.

Jack first saw her from a distance. He had been in the long, curved outer hallway of the Cascade Hotel, windowed on the outer side, little shopped on the inner. It was one of those moments that stick in memory – a cobbled walkway, virtually empty, sun blazing – when what should appear but a double vision – two beautiful women, a blonde and a brunette, and walking right toward him. He stared; he couldn’t help it. They floated, in unison, engaged (married?) in conversation as they approached. Jack slowed but managed to keep moving, eyes glued to the brunette. Yes, the blonde (Patrice, it would turn out) was a head-turner but something drew Jack’s attention to Jennifer.

The two women could have been identical twins. True, the hair color and skin tone differed, but in hairstyle (shoulder length), height (five nine-ish), weight (maybe 140) and shape (hourglass, with a little extra in the a.m.), they were clones. As Jack and the two beauties came abreast (abreast? – don’t even go there), and just when he thought he would keep on walking – and they would keep on walking – and they would all walk on out of each others’ lives, the two stopped.

“Excuse me,” Jennifer had cooed. “Is there some place nearby to get a decent cup of coffee and a bite?”

Jack remembered his shock – his shock they had even noticed him, more the shock of that “click” he had felt as their eyes met. Jack would be the first to admit he admired a thing of beauty, and a good-looking woman would never go unnoticed, but this had been more. Patrice was equally attractive but there was no “click” with her.

Jack had recommended a little café across the street. He noted that it, in fact, was where he was heading, so he had offered to escort them. They invited him to join them – and, as Jack’s buddy Clee would say, “The rest was history, man.”

Tuesday, November 14 It was a “National Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day” themed session at Sunrise Toastmasters. Jock’s speech was titled “A Road Trip” and was Speech #7 (Research Your Topic). He described a journey down a road less travelled from Red Deer to Lake Louise. Kendra’s speech was titled “Ayurveda: What It Is And How […]

In March, I returned to Toastmasters; I joined the Sunrise Toastmasters Club. They meet every Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. It’s a great group and I am thoroughly enjoying my return after over 30 years away. I will record my progress and my content for those who may care to follow along. My second speech is on […]

One of the easiest ways to get students excited about poetry is to share the best (in this case, a personal favourite: The Cremation of Sam McGee) and then have them write new words. Here’s my attempt: There Are Strange Things Done On the Golf Course, Son By Jock Mackenzie There are strange things […]

My bride and I had been to Purcell Mountain Lodge about 8 or 10 years ago. We LOVED our winter weekend. At the time, we heard that the lodge used caretakers in the off-season to – you guessed it – take care of the lodge. Now we’re here, all by ourselves, and we still LOVE […]

13 spots remaining Hello relative, friend, neighbour We’re doing it again . . . and this time with a major artist: WiL. The WiL Mimnaugh Trio will perform in our living room (seating for up to 50) on the evening of Tuesday, September 13. They’ll do two sets (all one performance), 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. […]

Reader of the Day #73 Sigmund Brouwer Sigmund is a Red Deer native and a true inspiration – especially to the Reading College students every July (where he donates his time). I love his books. Every one I’ve read (and I think he’s written over 130) has been a memorable read – from his kids’ […]

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Reader of the Day #70 Jillian Mackenzie *** I recently posted (in error) only pictures for Jillian’s READER OF THE DAY entry. Oops! Here’s the text and the pictures. I love reading and wish I did it more. I have been reading for 30 years! I was fortunate to learn how to read from my […]

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